Other than tooth loss and dental decay, one other common dental problem in dentistry is broken teeth. Tooth fractures occur so frequently among individuals, some worse than others. Unfortunately, not every patient with a tooth fracture seeks broken teeth treatment.
Sometimes it is because the fracture is not prominent enough to merit emergency care. However, it is not always the case. Sometimes, you need attention from an emergency dentist near you to treat your oral health and address the broken tooth.
What Breaks Natural Teeth?
Technically, natural teeth are strong and built to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, it is not the case for many people. Various factors can result in a broken tooth. The most common causes of tooth fractures are:
- Injuries or accidents – dental traumas are largely to blame for broken teeth. Facial trauma without a mouthguard often leads to tooth fractures or, worse, tooth loss.
- Bruxism – is a condition featuring excessive teeth grinding at night. The excessive force from grinding your teeth all night puts a strain on your jawbone and teeth.
- Eating hard foods – like popcorn kernels and ice cubes can easily crack and break natural teeth.
- Poor oral habits – patients who frequently bite fingernails or open bottle tops and cans with their teeth have a high likelihood of breaking them.
- Weak tooth – if you have weak teeth, anything can break them, including the slightest clenching. The brittleness of teeth is common when you have worn down teeth, poor oral care, or an underlying oral infection.
How to Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth?
Granted, a broken tooth is better than a lost one. Still, how you care for your fractured tooth makes the difference. Some of the essential tips when caring for a cracked, chipped or broken tooth are:
- Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it – for an added advantage, swish saltwater to rid your mouth of bacteria and disinfect your mouth.
- Cold compress using an ice bag wrapped in water – is especially useful if the cause of the fracture is an injury. The cold compress will alleviate any swelling and discomfort you may be experiencing.
- Apply dental wax over the edge of the tooth – it will protect your soft tissues from getting scrapped and injured by the sharp edges of the broken tooth.
- Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and anti-inflammatories – they will temporarily manage your pain and swelling before visiting your dentist.
- Call your dentist – ultimately, you need help caring for your teeth, particularly if you are in pain.
How Do Dentists Fix a Chipped Tooth?
It is not a waste of your time to visit us at Montgomery Dental Associates & Implantology Center after you break or chip your tooth. Even though tooth fractures are not always painful, you need the help of a dentist to fix your tooth.
Some of the ways that a dentist can resolve your problem are:
- Diagnosing the extent of damage – sometimes, a crack is just on the surface. However, some cracks and breaks are deeper than you can notice with self-evaluation. The severity of the fracture can necessitate other dental treatments like tooth fillings, dental extraction, or root canals.
- Treating pain – sometimes, you may need to undergo an endodontic procedure for your broken tooth to treat the damaged pulp, resulting in your pain. Relying on over-the-counter pain medication will not suffice if you want to rid your pain permanently.
- Repairing the tooth structure to restore an appealing appearance – dentists can employ different dental restorations to rebuild your tooth’s structure. The dentist can opt for different approaches, including tooth polishing, composite bonding, dental veneers, or crowns. The varying options can fix different extents of damage. Either way, these solutions will restore the tooth’s appearance and optimize its functionality.
- Future preventive measures – an essential factor you must consider after your treatment is how to prevent other occurrences of broken teeth. Your dentist can provide different alternatives, including customizing a mouthguard to protect your teeth from external trauma. Besides, habit counseling can help you abandon bad oral habits that may compromise your teeth’ structures in the future.